Business Research: Can 1‑Sentence Emails Replace Followers?
W.I. Institute explores a new customer acquisition model for freelancers and small businesses.
This model requires:
❌ no website
❌ no social media
❌ no followers
❌ no ads
You are reading a summary version of pre-published research intended for the general audience.
CURRENT FINDINGS
⬇️
Rich or poor → nobody wants money!
😲
Rich or poor—it doesn’t matter… everybody works tirelessly to spend as much as they can on the things they actually want.
1️⃣
(FIND)
This brings us to the first step of a customer acquisition model… finding what people want.
And today, this is easier than ever…
With social media, you can literally scan someone’s brain.
And if you don’t want to do it manually, you can use AI to scan their social media profile for you.
2️⃣
(WRITE)
Step two in the customer acquisition model is to write one sentence.
When you know exactly what someone wants, communication is simple:
- ❌ no fancy formatting
- ❌ no special design or styling
- ❌ and no need for writing “clever” messages (i.e. no copywriting)
➡️ If you pinpoint what people WANT, then one sentence is all you need.
The main and only goal of the first email is to start the conversation.
Everything else becomes 100 times easier after that:
- if they respond to your email
- you send the photo of the card
- and now you have your foot in the door
- now you’re negotiating 🎉
3️⃣
(SEND)
The last step is sending the message, which is simple…
BUT
…it has to go directly to their (verified) email address.
Some inboxes are overfilled with spam, but for others, it is not (statistically) likely to have loads of spam.
Let’s explore why…
The problem with spammers is they are extremely inefficient.
They could be sending 100k emails and get perhaps 10 responses in total.
If an average person sends them $10, they just made $100 that day.
Which is $3k per month.
BUT HERE IS THE SECRET
⬇️
Spamming only works if emails are:
- free
- publicly available on the internet
- or from cheap email lists where you get 100k emails for $5
NOTE: cheap email lists can contain up to 60% of invalid email addresses, and attempting to send to those will get your email domain URL instantly blacklisted by email providers like Gmail and others.
On the other hand, there are emails that are not publicly listed anywhere and cannot be easily found.
The only practical way to get those emails is through specialized databases.
Additionally, those databases contain personalized info like the person’s name and job position within the company.
(and you need this info to be able to find them on social media)
But those databases charge “premium prices” to access their emails.
About $0.50 per email. 😉
However, this is the worst nightmare for a spammer…
But for you, this is great news.
You can send only five emails and potentially get a client that will pay you thousands of dollars.
Not bad for a $2.50 investment. 😉
However, a $0 investment is even better. 🤑
Because of that, we secured you a special deal with a verified email database…
Get 5 emails for FREE (referral link)
This database has 160 million premium verified email addresses… and no spammer can afford to send them anything.
Using these emails is your biggest competitive advantage.
It’s like applying for a job, and you’re the only candidate vs. being just one among hundreds.
In case you need additional email examples, we’ve got you covered.
Plus, a lot of people find it easier to learn from examples.
1️⃣
Name:
Oliver T.
Context:
Oliver is Procurement Manager at a UK manufacturer.
You:
Offering supply-chain carbon-footprint modeling.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
He discussed replacing polystyrene with seaweed packaging.
Subject:
Seaweed packaging isn’t the only hidden lever
Body:
Ran the numbers on three “quiet swaps” for polystyrene.
Net positive impact looked better than expected.
Want me to share the spreadsheet?
2️⃣
Name:
Marcus D.
Context:
Marcus is an independent startup advisor in Dublin.
You:
Offering positioning diagnostics & founder ghostwriting.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
Blogged about “intelligent silence” in UX, likening it to Japanese gardens.
Subject:
That bit about Japanese gardens stuck with me
Body:
It changed how I now approach product intros.
In fact, I built something using that same philosophy.
Mind if I show you?
3️⃣
Name:
Anika S.
Context:
CTO of a data analytics company in Berlin.
You:
Offering user research & insight mapping.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
Podcast quote – “learned more from jazz improvisation than code.”
Subject:
You once said jazz taught you about systems
Body:
That one sentence helped me frame something I was working on.
Oddly enough, it might intersect with your own analytics.
Can I run it by you?
4️⃣
Name:
Rafael P.
Context:
Remote DevOps lead in Barcelona.
You:
Offering incident-response simulation workshops.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
Collects vintage mechanical watches for “fault-tolerant beauty.”
Subject:
Your Omega Seamaster analogy – sparked an idea
Body:
I actually applied that resilience concept to downtime drills.
And the results surprised me.
Would you like to see them as well?
5️⃣
Name:
Priya M.
Context:
HR Director at a Dublin fintech.
You:
Offering talent-retention data dashboards.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
Obsession with “stay-interviews over exit-interviews.”
Subject:
Saw your note on stay-interviews value curve
Body:
I built a live dashboard around that metric.
It surfaces silent flight-risk weeks sooner.
Curious to learn what the deciding factor was?
6️⃣
Name:
Fiona K.
Position:
Creative Director at a boutique branding agency in London.
You:
Offering high-concept advertorial storytelling services.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
She designed a fictional perfume brand inspired by her childhood garden.
Subject:
That lilac-petal label you made…
Body:
…looked like it had “scent memory” baked in.
I think I found something that rhymes with that feeling.
Want me to share it with you?
7️⃣
Name:
Mei L.
Context:
Product Designer at an Amsterdam SaaS.
You:
Offering micro-interaction sound design.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
Tweeted a clip from Hayao Miyazaki explaining “soft arrival cues.”
Subject:
Soft arrivals & the Totoro umbrella scene
Body:
I tried out that timing principle on a checkout chime.
And it changed how users interact with the page.
Worth a listen?
8️⃣
Name:
Sara V.
Context:
Marketing Analyst in Stockholm.
You:
Offering privacy-first attribution modeling.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
Medium essay on why cookbooks teach better analytics than courses.
Subject:
Your cookbook-as-analytics metaphor just leveled-up
Body:
I turned analytics into a recipe card for consent-safe funnels.
First “cooked” batch looks promising.
Want to taste-test the report?
9️⃣
Name:
Ethan J.
Context:
Workplace Experience Manager in Sydney.
You:
Offering acoustic zoning audits.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
He built a miniature anechoic chamber for fun.
Subject:
Your mini anechoic build sparked a full-scale tweak
Body:
I mapped a “quiet-corridor mesh” for open floors.
By simply rearranging the furniture, the sound quality jumped.
Care to see the decibel map?
1️⃣ 0️⃣
Name:
Abdul H.
Context:
Cyber-security consultant in Dubai.
You:
Offering human-factor breach rehearsal.
💡 Deep Research Insight:
Conference talk on chess endgames as security metaphors.
Subject:
Your rook-vs-pawn analogy – new breach drill idea
Body:
Based on your idea, I converted it into a 12-move rehearsal script.
First testers managed to catch gaps that were previously missed.
Can I send you the “move pattern”?
NEXT STEPS
⬇️
- ✅ find people you are interested in
- ✅ filter them by position in the company
- ✅ and send them a simple message
(referral link)
Published by:
WORKER INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE
Helping workers survive the Machine Age by building resilient Personal Economies.
INSTITUTE NOTICE: Earnings and outcomes vary. This page provides educational information, not a promise of income. See full disclosure & privacy policy.